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Chip swing in bunker

C

Carolina Golfer

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Have really been struggling in the bunker. Today, just practicing, I tried a chip swing w/ my 56 degree with some success.
 
If the front lip of the bunker is low enough, I'll chip it out every time... Even in a recessed bunker, I find it better to just slightly open the face and swing easier. Bunker play is my greatest weakness and thankfully there is a new practice bunker at our course. I want to get back to feeling confident with what used to be an easy shot!
 
If the bunker is solid and the ball is up in a fairway bunker, I just use a normal iron swing. Now if its soft, and the ball is sitting down in the sand, if I try a normal chip swing I end up hitting it fat.
 
I have used my chipping stoke to get out of bunkers. It's not an uncommon shot for me to use.

The only changes I make are opening the club face/stance up a little, and having the ball a little more forward in my stance. I do this for a little higher trejectory in the ball flight to help clear the lip of the bunker as needed.

I use it when the pin is cut close to the bunker, and I need a pretty short shot. Also, off firmer sand lies.

It's a shot I practice to stay familiar with.
 
Get a SW with the very wide sole and very little bounce...The KZG shown, the C3i or similar. There are many of them around lately. Elevates confidence with sand play.
 
Sand saves aren't in my repertoire.
I explode a few pounds of sand onto the green and pray that my ball went out with it.
Putting the next shot is my idea of success, no matter how long the putt is.
The actual sand save is usually asking too much.
 
Someone care to give some additional tips on this situation? It's one of the biggest problems I have on the course. I can get the ball up fast in softer bunkers well enough but when the bunker is packed/firm I'll struggle. I want to use a chipping motion but I'm not sure what the setup should look like and I often skull the ball or dig deep behind it and get stuck in the same spot about a foot away.
 
init.6 said:
Someone care to give some additional tips on this situation? It's one of the biggest problems I have on the course. I can get the ball up fast in softer bunkers well enough but when the bunker is packed/firm I'll struggle. I want to use a chipping motion but I'm not sure what the setup should look like and I often skull the ball or dig deep behind it and get stuck in the same spot about a foot away.
Click to expand...
init.6 said:
Someone care to give some additional tips on this situation? It's one of the biggest problems I have on the course. I can get the ball up fast in softer bunkers well enough but when the bunker is packed/firm I'll struggle. I want to use a chipping motion but I'm not sure what the setup should look like and I often skull the ball or dig deep behind it and get stuck in the same spot about a foot away.
Click to expand...

It's interesting, that sand bunker play gets little conversation. With my limited success so far, I play a firm chipping motion with the ball slightly forward and a wider stance than I would have thought for a chip shot swing. My only miss has been leaving it the bunker. Not great. But, I'd rather have that than the thin shot across the green.
 
RetiredBoomer said:
Sand saves aren't in my repertoire.
I explode a few pounds of sand onto the green and pray that my ball went out with it.
Putting the next shot is my idea of success, no matter how long the putt is.
The actual sand save is usually asking too much.
Click to expand...
^^^ this ^^^

If there is sand....big if.....then I envision the ball is on a dollar bill with 2/3 of it sticking out behind the ball. that's my target. I open the face. open my feet, ball near the back foot. make sure the club face and path are to my target and BLAST away. If the ball is on the green....I'm elated.
 
Carolina Golfer said:
It's interesting, that sand bunker play gets little conversation. With my limited success so far, I play a firm chipping motion with the ball slightly forward and a wider stance than I would have thought for a chip shot swing. My only miss has been leaving it the bunker. Not great. But, I'd rather have that than the thin shot across the green.
Click to expand...
Ball first contact, I'm assuming? What I'm picturing is a low-chip shot but with an open face. Firm, ball first contact that grazes the ground (sand, in this case) as the club head follows forward nice and low.
 
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